What combination of materials were used as fuel during the initial unmanned flight in Annonay?
Answer
Straw and wool
During the initial major public demonstration of the unmanned balloon that occurred in Annonay in June 1783, the mechanism to generate the necessary lift involved a specific fuel source. The brothers inflated the large paper and fabric bag by burning straw and wool underneath the opening. These materials served to create the essential hot air required for buoyancy. This combination of fuel was used to generate the heat needed to lift the craft, reinforcing the defining characteristic of their invention as a hot air balloon, even though they initially misattributed the lift to the resulting smoke.
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